It has been a bumpy ride for Jordan Haney, who has bounced around from team to team at the collegiate and junior college level.
Fresh out of Great Bend High School, Haney played in the NAIA at Kansas Wesleyan in 2011-12 for her freshman year. She went to Barton Community College as a sophomore.
Now, Haney will be competing for NCAA Division-II Southwestern Oklahoma State with a $1,500 per semester scholarship.
“They approached me at our regional tournament (at Barton),” Haney said. “I went there for a visit, and I liked it a lot.”
During her senior season, Haney batted .439 at Great Bend, ranking her third on the team behind Stephanie Morrison (.549) and Kaitlee Spray (.516).
Haney led the Lady Panthers with four home runs and 29 runs batted in. She tied with Spray with seven doubles.
Great Bend finished its season 17-5, losing in a Class 5A regional championship game with Valley Center at Harms Field.
Haney was an infielder and pitcher for Great Bend, but she just played first base with the Lady Coyotes.
At Kansas Wesleyan, Haney went .188, getting six hits in 32 at-bats. She had two doubles and two RBI.
After her year in Salina, she returned to play for Barton.
“It was just a better financial decision to move to Barton,” Haney said, “with Kansas Wesleyan being a  private school.”
The move also allowed Haney to get back in the circle.
Haney went 9-10 with an earned run average of 6.71.
At the plate, she went .383 with 49 hits in 128 at-bats. She had seven doubles, three home runs and 25 RBI.
Last year, the Lady Cougars went 15-26 overall.
Haney said she’ll be able to play as a middle infielder and pitcher for Lady Bulldogs head coach Tami Loy, but what she’s really looking forward to is hitting.
“Most pitchers don’t get a chance to hit in college,” Haney said, “but they told me I have a strong enough bat that they would leave me in the lineup.
“I think that part is my favorite part of the game.”
She is also looking forward to the heightened competition.
“I felt like at Barton, we didn’t get as much competition,” Haney said. “We didn’t travel as much. At Oklahoma, we get to go to Arkansas. I think we play teams in Texas and some in Kansas, so there is more traveling involved.
“It also pushes you more. There is more motivation.”